NEW DELHI, INDIA, September 30, 2018 (La Conexion USA, translated from Spanish): In India there are “vegetarians” and “non-vegetarians,” a categorization of eating habits that illustrates the conditions in a country in which, for a certain segment of upper class Hindu society, not eating meat is an obligation, while for the most humble members of society, the “green” diet is a matter of financial necessity. In New Delhi, the waiting lines at the entrance of some of the most popular vegetarian restaurants are common, while in the “mixed” establishments the vegetarian menu stands out, noting with flashy notices the meat dishes to avoid.
With the celebration of World Vegetarian Day tomorrow ( October 1st), the data is clear, highlighting India as the global Mecca of followers of “nonviolent food,” as the popular yoga guru Baba Ramdev pointed out to EFE. According to the latest survey on eating habits in the country, carried out during the period 2015-2016 by the Indian Ministry of Health, 30% of women and 22% of men in India declare themselves to be purely vegetarian. However, when you dig deeper into the statistics, those numbers skyrocket to the green side, showing that around 90% of the population consumes vegetables daily, while only 6% eat meat daily and that only 36% of the female population and 43% of men eat meat at least once a week.